Sumac

Today, St Louis saw unseasonably warm weather. I took the opportunity to do a pinch of gardening. There's a bush-tree thing that has been perturbing me every time I look out my back window. Last summer, I researched it a bit, and convinced myself that it was sumac. Because I react violently to poison ivy, I didn't want to face getting a rash from possible sumac, so I waited until the winter dried it out. Today, I took some hedge trimmers to it and then bagged it all up for garbage. After that, I took a shower, scrubbing myself everywhere, and then threw my laundry and work gloves into a steaming hot washing machine cycle. One can't be too careful. Oh, I also doused the remaining stubs with weed killer. It'll be hubby's job to dig out the roots in another month.

New Year Same as the Old Year

Right around this time last year, my sentiments were very similar.

Music in My House

Charlie has two friends over and they're fooling around with music in the family room. Shaun on guitar, Jack on piano, and Charlie on vocals and guitar. It's a really great sound to hear music in my house.

New Year Same as the Old Year

Does a new year feel shinier if you've planned for it? The only positivity I have is the knowledge that my kids go back to school on Monday, a full week before I'm back in class. Having a large family means the holidays are a whirlwind of people people people, and there's not a minute to think and write. And even if I did sneak off, I'd feel guilty because one or another child or relative is being neglected. Sigh. I guess that's one thing a job buys you: legitimate time to produce something, and a way to steal a few minutes here and there to indulge in the guilty pleasure of writing.

Trying It On

After years of frustration with navigating WordPress, a friend suggested I try out other sites, so here goes!